As the crisis in Nigeria’s main opposition political party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) continue to fester, 13 Governors elected on the party’s platform is set to meet in a make or mar meeting today, Monday October 14, 2024.
The scheduled meeting will take place via zoom.
According to a source at the party’s Wadata House Headquarters, the governors elected to hold the meeting on zoom to allow every member of the PDP Governor’s Forum to freely express themselves without any hinderance.
The zoom option was also adopted to avoid the gate-crashing of various contending forces in the party of the meeting.
Recall that a section of the PDP Governors forum led by the governor of Oyo State, Mr. Oluseyi Makinde whose members include Governors Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State, Agbu Kefas of Taraba State and Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang of Plateau State.
The Makinde group who has pitched their tent with the allegedly suspended Acting National Chairman of the party, Amb. Illiya Damagun has been accused of supporting the “destructive” interferences of the former governor of Rivers State, Mr. Nyesom Wike. Governor Makinde has been part of five PDP governors that worked against the presidential candidate of the party in the 2023 general elections, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. The group otherwise known as G-5 was led by Wike who was eventually rewarded by President Bola Tinubu as he was appointed the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
On the other hand, the there are seven other governors led by the Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum and the Governor of Bauchi State, Alhaji Bala Mohammed. The Bala Mohammed group are in support of the ousting of Damagun as the Acting National Chairman of the party and with the support of this group, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Debo Ologunagba announced the immediate suspension of Damagun on Friday October 11, 2024. In Damagun’s place, Alhaji Yayari Ahmed Mohammed was immediately announced as the new Acting National Chairman of the PDP.
The Bala Mohammed group comprise seven governors including, Governors Sheriff Omobovori (Delta), Godwin Obaseki (Edo), Ademola Adeleke (Osun), Siminalyi Fubara (Rivers), Douye Diri (Bayelsa), and Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom).
Governors Peter Mbah od Enugu State and his Zamfara State counterpart, Dauda Lawal are said to be neutral and indifferent in the leadership tussle in the party.
As the confusion continued, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the party, Senator Adolphus Wabara in a statement he personally personally signed on Saturday, however, called on all the warring groups in the party to sheathe their swords and give room for reconciliation.
Part of the statement read, “We understand that disagreements may arise but as a party with a long-standing tradition of internal democracy, we must not let these challenges derail our collective vision.
“The BoT will meet with the members of the NWC to intervene, foster reconciliation, and ensure that normalcy is restored in the NWC of our great party.
“We call on all party faithful and supporters to remain calm during this period.
“PDP has an effective conflict resolution mechanism, and we are confident that the current issues will be addressed and resolved in a manner that strengthens the party.”
Despite the charge of the BoT leadership, the warring groups have continued to trudge on with a counter statement announcing the suspension of the National Legal Adviser and the National Publicity Secretary of the party. A replacement was allegedly appointed for the National Publicity Secretary, but so far, no one has been “appointed” to replace the National Legal Adviser.
In similar fashion, the Ogudu Okwor Ward Executives in Onicha Local Government Area of Ebonyi State also last week announced the suspension of the National Vice Chairman (NVC) of the party in the Sutheast zone, Mr. Ali Odefa. Odefa has described the suspension as “null and void.”
Despite Mr. Odefa’s declaration, the suspended Southeast NVC took matters into his hands as he deployed war tactics and “abducted” some ward executives of the party whom the police later slammed cultism charges on them at the Magistrate Court.
The zoom meeting of the Governors Forum is a precursor to the National Executive Committee of the party scheduled for Abuja on October 2024. Several stakeholders in the party have advocated for the total overhaul of the current National Working Committee (NWC) of the party in order to give way for a fresh start for the party ahead of the activities towards the 2027 general elections.
Addtional reports from Adrew Ageyi and Olubunmi Steven in Abuja